Saudia pilot among three killed in attacks on Riyadh airport as airline confirms aircraft was also damaged
Saudia said Friday that Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, one of its pilots, was killed in Thursday’s attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said three Saudi citizens were killed and several people of different nationalities were wounded in two attacks on the airport. The first targeted airport facilities, while the second struck a Saudia aircraft parked on the ground.
Saudia said no passengers were aboard the damaged aircraft and that its operations at the airport returned to normal by 6 p.m. Thursday. Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on the airport.
The deaths follow a series of attacks on Saudi aviation infrastructure this week. Strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports on October 6 and 7 killed three other people and wounded 36, while the latest escalation prompted Lufthansa, Air India and other carriers to temporarily suspend flights to the Saudi capital.
